[TheDreamingTree]

Bought a brand new HK45c V1 last week, and a box of Hornady Custom 230 gr XTP +P. Cleaned and lubed the gun, loaded a magazine, chambered a round, and put it in my nightstand.

Yesterday, I took it to the range. I removed the magazine, ejected the round, and loaded up some 230 gr factory reloads I bought at the gun show. Shot 100 straight, no issues. When finished, I reloaded the Hornady SD rounds and left the range.

I got to my brother in law's house and he asked to see it. I ejected the magazine, and went to eject the round, but it was stuck: like, fubar-stuck. Powerstroke, no luck. Table corner, no luck. Hold slide and karate chop grip, no luck. After 30 minutes of struggling, I powerstroked the living **** out of it and ejected the round. Odd.

After inspection, the case had no marks or damage. So, I went home and cleaned it. After a thorough cleaning, I loaded some Snap-Caps and had no problems. I reloaded the Hornady's and had no problems.

This morning, I go to unload for the range, and it's stuck again! I powerstroke the balls off of it, and it ejects. No issues at the range at all.

I've never had a problem with Hornady before, but could it be this round?

Or, does the slide need breaking in?

Or, worse yet, is it a symptom of something worse?

I've found several others with issues on H&K slides sticking, but no troubleshooting: just "how to rip it open" techniques.

 

[Holdover]

Pretty sure its the ammo. Just saw a thread about this very thing using Hornady. Pull the barrel out of the pistol and isert a round into the chamber. I recall reading that it should be able to spin freely. Use search to find more details.

 

[gtmtnbiker98]

Why would you reinsert a known problem in the firearm? If it stuck once what made you think it wouldn't get stuck again? It's the ammunition.

 

[H&K 4 LIFE]

Upon reading just the title of this thread, I thought to myself "let me guess, he's using Hornady ammo." And sure enough...

I've seen enough posts on here recently regarding the HK45/C and trouble using Hornady ammo to know that there is a compatibility issue between the two. I would advise you switch to a different brand of ammo and the problem will likely disappear.

 

[Mattducati]

I had issues with Hornady ammo in my HK45C as well.
Now I use Federal Hydra Shox 230gr rounds when I carry my HK45C.

I had the same issue with Hornady ammo in my USP Compact 45.
H&K 4 Life - is correct, best to use a different brand of ammo.

 

[Apollo11]

Why in the world would you just chamber any defensive ammo without function testing at the range?

 

[TGS]

Upon reading just the title of this thread, I thought to myself "let me guess, he's using Hornady ammo." And sure enough...

I've seen enough posts on here recently regarding the HK45/C and trouble using Hornady ammo to know that there is a compatibility issue between the two. I would advise you switch to a different brand of ammo and the problem will likely disappear.

Bingo!

OP, let me make this easy for you:

https://www.google.com/search?sites...submit.x=0&submit.y=0&domains=hkpro.com/forum

It's nothing new. Hornady has horrible aggregate QC, and it's proven every two weeks when someone else posts here and they're having problems with......ding ding ding! Hornady! They do however have an awesome marketing machine, so unless a shooter does any research (and it doesn't take much, mind you), they'll think Hornady is some high speed ****. Hornady is the ammunition equivalent of Taurus.

Pick a round from this list, function test it before you carry it, and you'll be happy:
Thoughts on Service Pistols, Along with Duty and Self-Defense Ammo Recommendations

 

[ptoemmes]

FWIW Hornady is also problematic in Kahr pistols.

Speaking of marketing: Just in Case! - Hornady Manufacturing, Inc

I know I want a boatload of this - NOT.

Speaking of Zombies...WTF is all this zombie guns and ammo crap all about. Hell, even hickok45 is blasting zombie targets. If my RA45Ts don't stop them, they will have to pause the movie while I get my 12 gauge.

Pete

 

[TGS]

Speaking of Zombies...WTF is all this zombie guns and ammo crap all about. Hell, even hickok45 is blasting zombie targets. If my RA45Ts don't stop them, they will have to pause the movie while I get my 12 gauge.

Hahahaha.....I'm going to Valorius's house if my 9mm 147gr HST's don't work. It would take an infantry platoon reinforced with a SMAW to get into his place. I think it'd even be safe against those Olympic marathon zombie mother****ers from 28 Days Later...

 

[Apollo11]

Let me clarify something about Hornady as a whole. The reloading components are fantastic. They constantly are consistent and the quality control is outstanding. I shoot their 124g .355" FMJ RN, and the 230g .451 FMJ RN exclusively because they out preform every thing else that I have tested.

I have not tried their loaded ammo except for hunting loads (which work great!). I think it's unfair to call their entire line bad QC. Hornady bullets are the only bullets that I'll buy after trying a bunch of different brands. To me they are the Hk of the bullet world.

 

[orfeo]

The reason it sticks is because the Hornady round is too long. When you close the slide, the breechface jams the nose of the bullet into the rifling of the bore. Then when you try to rack the slide, the bullet is stuck in the bore, and the extractor is hooked onto the rim of the cartridge case.

One thing that many people don't realize is that the bullet is a little too fat to fit through the bore. It obturates under pressure to fit the bore after cartridge ignition. You don't want your cartridges so long that they are touching the rifled bore upon chambering. Even if they are short enough to touch the bore but not stick or get jammed-in, you still want a little jump-space in front of the bullet so that it can start moving before encountering the resistance of trying to swage through the rifled bore. 45 caliber HK handguns have a shorter "leade" or "freebore" (the area in front of the chamber but before the rifled bore) than many other brands. It's not that 230 gr Hornady is bad ammo, it is just that it is not designed to fit correctly in 45 caliber HK barrels. They could adjust their 230 gr ammo dimensions to work in HKs, or they could include a note with their ammo that it is not designed to fit correctly in HK barrels, but as far as I know, they have done neither.

 

[TGS]

It's not that 230 gr Hornady is bad ammo, it is just that it is not designed to fit correctly in 45 caliber HK barrels. They could adjust their 230 gr ammo dimensions to work in HKs, or they could include a note with their ammo that it is not designed to fit correctly in HK barrels, but as far as I know, they have done neither.

Good info, Orfeo!

Still, I'm under the impression that Hornady sucks. The Hornady ammo I bought for both 38 and 357, 1 year apart (so it wasn't the same batch), all had problems ranging from unseated primers, varying ranges on how deep the bullet was seated, to bullets that were only partially jacketed.

In addition, their ammo has had consistency problems in terminal ballistics testing with Dr. Roberts, and they ended up having to send him multiple batches. Seems like enough red flags for me when Gold Dot, HST, and Ranger-T are all great quality ammo with no problems in HK's and vetted by Dr Roberts.

 

[Apollo11]

TGS,

Not sure if you read my post at the end of the last page. I am a firm believer in the Dr.'s testing, but Hornady makes a lot of outstanding products. In my mind, they are first and foremost a reloading company. Their products compete well on the market and IMHO are the best for match bullets.

 

[GPD45]

Hey guys what about Hornady Critical Defense 185gr? I bought a box because the bullet looked cool (red tip).

 

[gtmtnbiker98]

Hey guys what about Hornady Critical Defense 185gr? I bought a box because the bullet looked cool (red tip).

I should hope that this is a joke?

 

[orfeo]

Hey guys what about Hornady Critical Defense 185gr? I bought a box because the bullet looked cool (red tip).

The 45 caliber Hornady bullets of lesser weight/size than the 230 grain don't seem to be a problem. It is the cartridges with 230 gr bullets that have been overlength.

This makes sense given the fact that the 230 gr bullet is larger (longer) than the lesser weight bullets. Hornady could seat them a little deeper in the case to accomodate HK barrels, but then they would need to account for this by backing off a little with their powder load. Any time you seat a given cartridge's bullet deeper, you raise pressures because then there is less case-volume for the explosion. The reason I mention this is because some guys who have already bought Hornady 230 gr ammo to use in their HKs, think it is alright to merely seat the bullet deeper into the cartridge case. . . IT IS NOT. When you do that, you are changing the load workup, and creating a hotter load. This is also the reason why bullet setback (caused by repeatedly chambering the same round) is bad practice.

 

[orfeo]

Good info, Orfeo! . .

Thanks my friend, I'm just glad if it helps somebody!

 

[TGS]

Hornady makes a lot of outstanding products.

They're also only one of two US manufacturers that use steel cases. :wink:

Besides that quip, duly noted. Especially with rifle ammunition, they seem to make great stuff. But with pistol rounds, they really seem to drop the ball. It's not hard to find a lot of problems associated with "premium" Hornady self-defense handgun ammo.

 

[orfeo]

Several HKPro forum-members have contacted Hornady about this issue, and as far as I know, they haven't bothered to address it. That is enough reason right there for me to avoid Hornady products. I didn't mean to imply in post #11 above that Hornady is particularly "good" ammo, just that the issue is caused by being a little too long for HK barrels. If, for example, 80 out of 100 rounds fit correctly in HK barrels and 20 out of 100 were overlength, then I would say "bad" ammo (ammo is all about consistancy and repeatability). But in this case, all Hornady 230 gr Hornady XTP is too long for HK pistol barrels (even if it doesn't quite get stuck). It probably runs fine in other brands with longer barrel leades.

 

[TGS]

Hey guys what about Hornady Critical Defense 185gr? I bought a box because the bullet looked cool (red tip).

That red tip is actually a special type of high-detonation velocity C4 (wow, finally got to use that knowledge from my demo training in the marines). It's awesome, totally go for it.

It's actually the ammo this news clip was about, "Steel Hawk" is actually rebranded Hornady ammo:
ONN: Manufacturer Recalls Hollow Point Bullet for Failing to Explode